In water, butamifos undergoes photoinduced
intramolecular oxygen transfer from the nitro group to
the P=?S moiety, resulting in the formation of the
nitrosooxon derivative. Through the successive
reduction of the nitroso group to hydroxyamino and
amino groups, as well as oxidation to the nitro group,
the nitrosooxon derivative is finally photodegraded to
various polar compounds. The isomer of butamifos is
photodegraded more slowly than butamifos in air, and
its main photodegradation pathway in water is
oxidation of the arylmethyl group to form a
corresponding carboxylic acid derivative.
